Santa Fe Culture

There is not a better place on earth for students of Counseling, Art Therapy, or alternative healing arts to combine academic study, unparalleled natural beauty and colorful cultural vibrancy.

Founded in 1610, Santa Fe is the oldest and highest (7,000 feet) capital in the United States. Demographically, it is a blend of European (especially Spanish), Mexican, Pueblo and Navajo Indian.

Wikipedia offers this on the Santa Fe art scene: “Santa Fe’s art market is generally considered to be one of the three largest in the United States. The Canyon Road galleries showcase a wide array of contemporary, Southwestern, indigenous American, and experimental art, in addition to Russian, Taos Masters and Native American pieces.”

A visit to Santa Fe is not complete without a hike up Canyon Road, even for the most casual art appreciator. For artists and Art Therapists, it is absolutely essential. You will also see the beautiful, detailed architecture on private homes, in Plaza hotels, and just about everywhere you turn in Santa Fe.

At 7,000 feet, the skies here are often shockingly dramatic and ever-changing; the sun shines over 300 days a year. In one hour or less you can travel from the Downtown Plaza to:

In the summer months, the Plaza explodes with art, color and music as the Fiesta, Spanish Market and Indian Market electrify the art community and the Plaza stage offers live music most nights. The local farmer’s market runs year-round including both a Saturday market and Artisan market, featuring locally grown produce, eggs, goat cheese, meat and baked goods, herbs, wine tasting, textiles, gifts, arts and crafts. The festival of Zozobra is our local “burning man” celebration, and in October of each year, Albuquerque hosts the acclaimed International Balloon Fiesta. Visually and musically stunning, Deer, Corn and other special Dances are held at the 19 northern New Mexico pueblos at various times of the year.

The spiritual/psychological/healing climate is diverse, open-minded and all-embracing. Many say that Santa Fe is a “spiritual vortex,” which attracts energy healers and shamanic practitioners, supports a Jungian Society and is home to the kinds of people that present at our own annual Transformation and Healing Conference.

Additionally, you will have ample opportunities to visit ashrams, Friends Meeting Houses, a Catholic Basilica, Tibetan Stupas, New Thought Centers, Synagogues, and the Hanuman Temple in Taos.

Communing with nature is one of the biggest cultural pastimes here. Hiking enjoys a huge popularity, as do biking, rafting and a New Mexico specialty, sky-watching. The hoodoos at Tent Rocks, the cave dwellings at Bandelier National Monument and Aspen Ridge at peak color are only a few of many amazing experiences to be had in or near Santa Fe.

Colorful, wonderful, exciting, artistic, stunning. That is Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is an experience of a lifetime to attend graduate school here.

"Southwestern College has been an amazing part of my journey. This education endeavor as an art therapist has been a series of miracles for me. I've seen such a shift in myself. It's been a beautiful experience."

Crystal Hoffman, Graduate

"I'm honored to be applying myself in a clinical environment and my experience at Southwestern enabled me to not only work as an art therapist but to facilitate mindfulness groups. A dream within a dream job I had not even fathomed."

Anna Mills, Graduate

"My experience at Southwestern has been truly transformational. From the lessons learned in Consciousness class to my light figure project and vision quest. The impact on me and on my soul has been absolutely profound."

Stephanie Albury. Graduate 2012

"I'm thankful for everyone at Southwestern College...The deeper sense of myself has been seen, heard, honored and found. I'm so grateful to be able to share it with other people."

Cynthia Alexis, Graduate

"I chose to go back to school for my 50th birthday. Little did I know I would be re-birthed... This is sacred work for me. May the work that we do be of service and benefit to all."

Eliza Buck, Graduate

"This is the place that empowered me to do things the way that I do them, the way I'm good at doing them. I've come to surmise that to be an art therapist; to me means being an artist at therapy so the therapy is the art. The creative engagement with another, with each other, that is the art. "

Renee Borsberry, from Art Therapy Capstone Presentation

"The New Earth Institute of Southwestern College offers an array of educational and transformational opportunities to the community. It has been a rich and rewarding experience, enabling the college to grow and expand our mission of transforming consciousness through education. True education engages and awakens all parts of one’s being, allowing for the integration of mind, body and spirit. It cultivates reverence for life and nurtures us in the journey of the soul.”

Katherine Ninos, Vice President

"It has been an extremely amazing journey; the past two years. There has been a lot of pain, a lot of joy and a lot of learning. I think the thing I've learned the most about this experience is trusting the process."

Denise Moore, Graduate

"I feel so much gratitude for being part of this caring, supporting, reflective, soulful community."